The Alternate World of Kid Nicole
by Starburst Crusader
Summary: Co-created with Captain 'Whiskers' Mooncat - Set in an alternate universe, follow the adventures of twelve-year-old Nicole Senicourt and her new step-sibling, Gumball Watterson as they grow up together in a very different version of Elmore. In other words, a "What-if" story where Gumball and Nicole are best friends, rather than mother and son.
1. A Meeting Between Felines

**Foreword: This story is a joint collaboration between Starburst Crusader and Whiskers Mooncat. **

**The concept came about as a result of us wanting to tell a new story with the character of Kid Nicole and her relationship with Gumball, but avoiding the typical time travel and forbidden romance angles one might expect. **

**The Alternate World of Kid Nicole**

**Chapter One: ****New Beginnings**

Dressed in her favorite white sweater, emblazoned with pink sleeves and a bold number '1' in the middle, twelve year old Nicole Senicourt walked downstairs, adjusting her matching pink skirt and head bow as she came face to face with her mother.

"Okay Mom," began Nicole. "My homework's all finished, just like you wanted."

"That's nice dear," replied Mary, patting the seat beside her at the dinner table, gesturing for her daughter to sit down.

On the table before them sat a pile of important looking envelopes, an empty cup of coffee, a half finished crossword puzzle and a permanent marker.

"Your report card came in." Mary continued, presenting a yellow sheet of paper.

"That's wonderful!" Nicole almost beamed.

To say that she had worked hard last semester would have been an understatement. In Nicole's opinion, she had gone the extra mile and then some. And now, it was all going to pay off.

At last, she would receive those words of approval from her mother that she longed to hear.

"Well, what do you think?" Nicole eagerly awaited her answer.

"Well..." Mary flatly repeated, beckoning her daughter with a flick of her finger. "Right now, you have an A in Math, a B in Science, an A- in History, a B+ in Music, but only a C in Literature."

Mary put the report card down and stared at her daughter expectantly.

"Oh, I see..." Nicole spoke with a stumped frown. "I take it the C in Literature is the issue?"

Mary shook her head. "That's the worst offender, but it's not the only one."

"Wait, you don't mean..." Nicole began, dumbstruck. "The A's and B's too? Mom, you're not seriously disappointed in those too, are you?"

"Well, aren't you?" Mary turned the question back at her.

"But they're perfectly fine grades!"

"I'm afraid 'perfect' and 'fine' don't fit together, Nicole. Your grades are fine but they're not perfect."

"Are you saying you want me to achieve-"

"All A+'s? Yes dear, that's preciselywhat I expect you to do." Mary stated, with a polite grin. "If it _can_ be done, then it _must_ be done. Winners don't settle for anything less than the best. I certainly never did..."

Mary paused mid-lecture, getting up to pour herself another cup of coffee from the kitchen. Nicole's eyes followed her, doing serious mental gymnastics about the situation. Her mother always harboured unreasonably high expectations but this was something else entirely.

"Keep this in mind Nicole," Mary continued. "Pain is temporary but pride is forever. Remember that."

Nicole sighed heavily.

Great expectations or not, her mother Mary was still the same woman who had raised her, all on her own. Ever since her father walked out on them on a cold, frigid, rainy night, following the weeks after her birth.

No matter what hardships Mary was left to endure, she never once blamed Nicole for them nor did her unbreakable resolve ever waver. It served as a constant reminder to Nicole as to why she could never deny her mother's requests, no matter how ambitious they could be.

Wearily resting her head on the table, Nicole despondently spoke.

"Okay, Mom. If that's what you want…" She slowly tilted her head up, her mother's figure coming into view. "Then I guess it's what I want too… I'll make it happen."

Nicole mustered a faint smile and Mary rubbed her head approvingly.

"Good girl," said Mary, before returning her attention to the report card. "Now, would you mind explaining what happened here? It says you got an F on a Poem you wrote in Literature class. How is this possible? Hmm?"

Nicole winced as a sharp bout of anger suddenly overcame her. Oh, she knew _exactly_ what happened. She had poured her heart and soul into writing that poem and Miss Simian being the old, bitter ape that she was, tore into it like a pack of piranhas after fish food.

"Mom, I assure you, I spent all night working on it! It's all Miss Simian's fault!" She sputtered out in the vain hopes that her mother might understand.

Mary simply rolled her eyes at her daughter as if to say 'here we go again'.

"Nicole, we've been over this before. Just how in the world is it your teacher's fault?" She asked flatly.

"I dunno, maybe it's because she's a bitter baboon who likes tormenting her students all the time?" Said Nicole, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. "You saw her at the Parent-Teacher Conference, Mom. Didn't you catch a _glimpse_ of it?"

"Again, it sounds to me like you're spinning a different story." Her mother replied matter-of-factly, laying the card back down on the table. "The way Miss Simian presented herself during that meeting was nothing short of welcoming-"

"-She's about as welcoming as a gorilla in a monkey house-"

"And she made it clear that her strict discipline only stems from the fact that she wants all her students to succeed-"

"It was all an act, Mom! She's been feeding you nothing but lies!" Nicole pleaded, desperately trying to convince her mother about the truth. ""And the worst part is, she always has it out for me, specifically. She's always calling me a loser and whatnot! She even said it after handing back the poem!"

"Really?" Replied Mary with scepticism. "And what would a certified teacher have to gain from doing such a thing to her own students?"

Nicole opened her mouth for an answer, but ultimately hesitated as sudden realization sank in.

She simply did not have one.

Why _did_ Miss Simian, the bitter old decrepit ape that had lived for countless centuries, decide to target her? She had been calling Nicole a 'loser' since the moment the little cat had toddled into kindergarten on her first day and it had only escalated from there. Especially when Nicole arrived at Elmore Jr High.

Maybe Miss Simian just targets a specific student every few generations. And maybe she has a complex thought process into deciding who that target will be. Or maybe...

Maybe it was just an unhappy coincidence brought about by pure rotten luck, thought Nicole.

Unable to explain herself, Nicole meekly shrugged and gave the only answer she could offer. "I just… I just don't know…"

There was a pause as her mother thought things over.

Mary had raised her daughter better than to lie but even if her tall tale was true, she would not intervene.

Nicole's mother believed that in order to become a winner, one has to be grow thicker skin and rise above discouragement. If Mary started fighting her daughter's battles for her, others might see it as a weakness or worse, she could end up spoiling her only child.

From Mary's point of view, this was merely tough love. There was little time for such minor matters anyway. A much more pressing matter awaited both their attention.

"Well Nicole, my advice is that for your next writing assignment, you should spend all _day_ writing it rather than all night. That's all there is to it…"

Nicole was tempted to argue but ultimately held her tongue. She knew there was no point in trying to reason with her mother. Once Mary had made up her mind, it was a closed topic through-and-through. Nicole knew from experience.

"Yes Mom, I will..." She conceded.

"Good girl," Mary nodded approvingly. "Now go and make yourself presentable. We have some important guests coming over, very soon…"

"Important guests?" Said Nicole. "Who might they be?"

"Mr. Daniel Watterson," Announced Mary. "The man I've been, well… I've been 'talking to' for a while now. He's a single parent, much like myself and we have some important matters to discuss. In the meantime, I've set you up on a play-date with his son."

"What!?" Nicole cried out, crossly. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? I never asked for any 'playdate'!"

"Now now Nicole," Replied Mary, waving her finger. "I'm doing this for your own good. You haven't made a single friend since you fell out with Yuki Yoshida."

"Don't remind me... please."

"But it's true, honey. You've let one bad experience sour your perspective. It's important to make friends to get ahead in life."

"You don't understand, Mom!" Complained Nicole. "Yuki was my _best_ friend. I thought I knew her. I _trusted_ her. And after everything we'd been through, she showed her true colors at the end!"

Nicole folded her arms tightly, glaring daggers at the floor as if she were looking at Yuki, right now.

"How can I trust anyone so easily, after that!? Especially any of those imbeciles at school that only ever think about themselves!"

"Come now, dear… That's just a rash generalization you're making. Certainly not _every_ person at school is like that. I'm sure of it."

"Well, I'm not so sure. But I'd rather not risk finding out after Yuki… after she …" Nicole swallowed hard, her fury melting away into sorrow. "I never want to feel betrayed like that again. Her friendship meant everything to me, Mom. And she threw it all away, just because of one stupid match…"

Nicole was almost on the verge of tears now. Mary looked at her daughter with concern.

"It's my bad, sweetie." She soothed, rubbing her head. "I should have told you about this sooner. What happened with Yuki was most unfortunate. Trust me, I know what it feels like to be betrayed by someone close to you."

Mary took a big sip her coffee, pausing to let her words sink in.

"But you must learn to put the past behind you and move on. I assure you, Daniel's son won't wrong you that way. From what he told me, he's gentle and earnest as they come. You'll see... Socializing with others of your age is a good thing. This is a good opportunity for us-I mean you, to start over."

Nicole remained silent.

"Perhaps you might find more in common with each other than you think…" Mary tried to appeal to her.

There was another pause.

"Look, please just try to get along with him, okay?" Asked Mary, with a comforting arm around her. Nicole slowly looked back up at her mother.

"Okay, I'll try..."

"Thank you, sweetie." Said Mary, grateful of her daughter's acceptance. She then made her way to the stairs, calling back as she did so. "They'll be here in about an hour, so make sure everything is need and tidy before they arrive."

Nicole simply dropped her head onto the table, groaning inwardly.

**Meanwhile…**

Amongst the hustle and bustle of urban city life, a rather average looking maroon colored car sped across the Elmore expressway, weaving its way in and out of traffic.

Its driver, a short but rough looking Siamese cat, impatiently tapped the steering wheel. His child occupied the passenger seat, lazily staring out the window.

Getting an idea, he turned to his father and asked, "Say Dad, can we stop for ice cream?"

"Later Gumball, we're in a hurry," replied Daniel, not taking his eyes off the road.

"...Then can we stop for candy?"

"No." "Donuts?" "No." "French fries?" "No!" "Froyos?" "_No_!"

There was a pause.

"...Boba tea?"

"Son... I don't even know what that is..." Daniel replied in an exasperated voice. "Look Gumball, I'm sorry we had to skip breakfast today but we can always eat later. This is a matter of utmost importance!"

"I know, I know," nodded Gumball. "You've said like three times already. But you still haven't told me where we're going…"

Daniel sighed deeply. In a strange way, it amazed him how his son could be so oblivious and yet so curious at the same time.

Daniel had no intention of telling Gumball the whole story just yet but he knew it would be wise to give his son some idea about the importance of their visit.

"Very well," began Daniel. "We're going to be visiting Ms. Senicourt for a while. So you need to be on your best behavior.

"You mean the lady you've been talking to recently?" asked Gumball, donning a look of confusion. "How come we're visiting her? I thought we were moving into our new apartment today..."

Gumball gestured to all of the boxes full of valuables, crowding every inch of the car that wasn't occupied by the cats.

"We _are_ moving in! I mean uh, _later_. We'll be moving into our new home, _later_." Daniel hastily clarified.

"Oh, I get it," Gumball smiled. "Are you two-"

"-We're not dating!" Daniel angrily finished the sentence, attempting to play coy, despite his evident blush. Gumball innocently giggled in response, prompting his father to change topic.

"And more importantly," He continued. "You're coming along with me because she has a child of her own for you to play with."

Daniel sped up the car, hoping to make it across the upcoming intersection before the traffic light would change. In a typical fashion, the light switched red the moment he got within sight of it, enraging him even further than he already was.

"Augh, damn it! Curse these infernal red lights!" Daniel shouted, loud enough for the passing commuters to take notice.

Ignoring their looks of bafflement, he kept his paws firmly on the wheel, holding it with a grip so strong that if he were to squeeze any tighter, it would break apart from such fury.

"Curses!" huffed Daniel, impatiently. "Why does this always happen to me!?"

In ordinary circumstances, anyone else would have been horrified at Daniel's outburst over such a minor matter. Gumball on the other hand, remained incredibly nonchalant about the whole predicament.

Having known his father all his life, he knew his father had quite the temper about him. It was quite common for him to break into a rant over the smallest of grievances. But beyond his cranky exterior, Gumball knew his father had a softer side he preferred to hide.

Perhaps getting angry was just his way of coping with the stress of being a single parent. At least that was what Gumball had always thought.

"Dad relax, it's only a red light," Gumball lightly chuckled. "It's just doing its job. It'll change soon enough."

"But the other road is clear!" Complained Daniel. "What's the point of having a red light when no one needs it!?" He yelled out, his tantrum giving out with a simple sigh.

Glancing at his watch the time read 1:36 PM.

Not great, not terrible. There was still a chance he could make it on time, thought Daniel.

If only this damn red light would just... move... on...

"We have to get there as soon as possible," stressed Daniel. "I promised Mary I'd be there at exactly 2 o'clock on the dot!

"Relax Dad," replied Gumball. "It's good to be on time but I don't think a few minutes difference is gonna matter-"

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, AT LAST, IT'S GREEN!" interrupted Daniel triumphantly, slamming down the gas pedal with a cry of joy. He continued talking as the car sped off. "And as a matter of fact son, it _will _matter. To Mary it will..."

"Why? Is she like some sort of perfectionist or something?" inquired Gumball, prying for more details about the mysterious Mary.

"What? Of course not!" retorted Daniel, shaking his paw in dismissal.

Crossing his arms, Gumball skeptically raised an eyebrow at his father who was quick to rescind his previous statement.

"Well okay, maybe she sort of is…" Daniel confessed quietly. "...but that's what I like in a woman." He offhandedly continued under his breath. "She'll be a better mother to you than Joanna ever was…"

Gumball's eyes immediately darted towards him.

"Uh, what did you say?" He asked, perking up his ears.

"Nothing, nothing. Don't worry about it." Daniel replied, trying to play it cool.

For a moment, Gumball continued to stare at his father as if he could see right through him. Fearing this, Daniel coldly avoided his gaze in the hopes his son would not privy further. Despite his stoic facade, mentally he was panicking. He swallowed hard.

_'Just drop it, just drop it, just drop it…'_ the words kept cycling through his mind.

Thankfully, Gumball just shrugged the matter off and said "Okay then."

Daniel internally breathed a sigh of relief as Gumball turned his attention back towards the road.

"Thank God…" he thought, wiping the sweat off his brow.

"So, Ms. Senicourt has a kid," asked Gumball, curious for more details. "What're they like?"

Daniel merely shrugged.

"I don't know... Mary didn't go into detail. But they're about your age, so I'm sure you'll get along fine."

"Cool," smiled Gumball. "I can't wait to meet him!"

"_Her_. You can't wait to meet _her._" Daniel corrected, causing his son to grow a little nervous.

"Huh? Oh... I-I-I've never tried to make friends with a girl before…" Gumball admitted shyly.

"Well, there's a first time for every thing then. If in doubt, just be polite as possible." Daniel instructed.

Several more minutes of traffic later, the duo had finally reached their destination.

"Ah, this must be the place… 1026, York Street." Daniel muttered to himself, as he pulled up towards a driveway. "Look alive son_, we've made it!"_ He said with a smile, as they departed the vehicle.

Stepping out of the vehicle, Gumball cast his eyes upon the little house that stood before him on this warm sunny day. It was evidently much smaller and cosier than the neighbouring houses that surrounded it.

It appeared to be a two storey house, probably housing an attic too evidenced by the window at the very top. The walls were painted a rather saturated shade of light blue with white panels and picket fencing.

It overlooked a neatly kept garden with a nice little patio leading up towards an awning atop the front door. Even the Mailbox looked welcoming with a big painted smile on its front.

"So, this is their house?" Asked Gumball, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yep, it sure is," smiled Daniel. "Well son, what do you think?"

"Hmm, I think it looks…" He trailed off, seemingly about to dismiss it. However, at the flip of a coin, Gumball's eyes lit up as he finished his sentence in an almost mesmerized tone.

"_Amazing…"_

"Haha, I'm glad you think so." Daniel chuckled at the sudden mood change. "Come on son, it's bad manners to keep a host waiting."

Daniel began to make his way towards the front door as Gumball followed closely behind. Thoughts of meeting his father's acquaintance and her child, made him feel both nervous and excited at the same time. Making friends was all but a new endeavour for him.

Gumball attended Richwood Junior High, which was reputable for its obsession with sports, 80's culture and not much else. It was hard enough trying to fit in, much less make any friends. And given Gumball's overall distaste for the school's motif, it only cemented his status as a misfit and loser.

Worse still, two students in particular, Carlton and Troy, always liked to pick on him. At least, that was what they liked to _think_. Frankly, Gumball actually felt sorry for them, given how petty their squabbles could be. Even worse, the principal seemed to encourage this bad behavior.

This was a chance for Gumball to start over and by golly, he was determined to make a good first impression. Otherwise, he ought to quit while he was ahead, before he wound up making a fool of himself.

Approaching the front door of the house, Daniel made sure to straighten his appearance, adjusting his tie before knocking three times.

"Now Gumball," He spoke, with his attention set squarely on the door. "I want you to be on your best behavior. Mary and I have a very important matter to discuss. So I don't want you causing any mischief or wandering off on your-"

Daniel turned to face his son but astoundingly Gumball was nowhere to be seen. He whipped his head back and forth in a panic, desperately searching for his son, only to spot him speaking to an elderly moose next to the Senicourt's mailbox.

"...So if you're the neighbourhood mailman, do you deliver your own mail? Or do you like, have your own mail person? Or maybe-"

"-Gumball Watterson!" Daniel hollered. "Get your butt over here, _right_ now!"

"Uh, never mind, bye!" Gumball hastily bid farewell to the mailman and rushed back to meet with his father, who stood before him looking quite annoyed. "What's wrong, Dad?"

"Wrong!? I'll tell you what's wrong..." Daniel spoke in a loud whisper. But he was quick to adjust his tune upon hearing the sounds of the door unlocking. "..._After_ we've said 'Hello' and introduced ourselves."

The door finally opened as he came face-to-face with a tall, beautiful, blue feline. Though in all fairness, most adults would be relatively tall compared to his short stature but Mary was particularly a tall drink of water, with an elegant streak about her.

Although he greeted Mary happily, Daniel was quickly silenced by the unimpressed look on her face. He gulped, anxiously waiting for her to speak.

"Well, you sure know how to keep a lady waiting." She spoke accusingly.

Daniel's nervous expression sank to one of disbelief.

"I… I didn't make it on time then?" He put his hands together and took a pleading stance. "I'm sorry, Mary! I tried to get here as fast as I could, really I did! But the traffic in this city-"

"Shhh, hold on to your whiskers, Daniel," Mary playfully soothed, with a little grin. "It's only 2:01. It's not like I was expecting you to be right on the dot or anything."

Daniel looked up at her, his face a mixture of relief and astonishment. "You… you weren't?"

"What do you think I am?" scoffed Mary. "Some kind of perfectionist or something?"

"Well uh..." Daniel mumbled, scratching his head. "To be honest, yeah. But that's what I like about you, Mary."

"Please Daniel, compliments will get you everywhere," Mary laughed dryly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's no secret that I aim for perfection. But if there's anything I admire more, it's dedication. And you Mr. Watterson, are _very_ dedicated."

"Aw shucks..." Replied Daniel, looking a little flustered.

His father's meek attitude took Gumball by surprise. He had never seen the man look so submissive. Despite his short size, Daniel was a fearless individual and usually one to speak his mind, loud and clear.

But if there actually existed someone who could cut him down to size, then Ms. Senicourt might very well be the scariest person Gumball could ever hope to meet.

Gumball only grew even more nervous as Mary cast her eyes upon him with definitive interest.

"Ah, so this little one here must be your son…" inquired Mary.

"Yes ma'am," Daniel said proudly, ruffling his son's head. "His name is uh… Well, he we call him Gumball."

"Gumball, hmm?" repeated Mary.

Aware of his unusual nickname, Gumball felt himself go tense as Mary's eyes wandered over him, curiously inspecting him like a fine antique, as if trying to figure out his worth.

The thickening air silence was only making him feel even more nervous, so he decided to speak up.

"Uh, how do you do?" He smiled, pretending to tip his imaginary hat.

Mary said nothing but gave him a little smile as she eased off. Inwardly, Gumball breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hmm, quite the little gentleman, I see," Grinned Mary, turning to Daniel. "And what a surprise, you never told me he had blue fur like us!"

"Must've slipped my mind," Daniel scratched the back of head. "They said the gene pool dealt us a wild card. My great grandpappy was a Russian Blue, y'know?"

"Well, do come in and make yourself at home, Gumball." Said Mary with a light chuckle, making her way back inside as the father and son followed her lead.

"Nicole!" Mary beckoned from the base of the staircase. "Come down here and introduce yourself, honey!"

After a moment of hesitation, Nicole lazily walked downstairs, her unhurried hand dragging along the railing, just as her tail did against the floor. When she arrived, she simply stood there with her head lowered, hands crossed and one foot before the other.

Ever so slowly, she titled her head up to make eye contact with her guests. But the moment she saw them, particularly Gumball, her eyes widened with disbelief. She had to blink a few times just to make sure her imagination was not running wild.

'_T-That's him?'_ thought Nicole, noting Gumball's blue fur. '_He looks like… like… He looks just like us!'_

'_What the what?!' _thoughtGumball, his expression mirroring that of Nicole's.

Mary's daughter looked like his carbon copy, even wearing a sweater just like him. They could easily have been mistaken for fraternal twins. What were the odds of that?

Despite his initial shock, Gumball gave a warm smile and stepped forward.

"Hi, my name is Gumball Watterson!" extending his hand with a big dopey grin on his face.

Nicole responded in a very formal, somewhat forced tone. "I'm Nicole, nice to meet you."

Though she shook his hand, the bored look in her eyes did not seem to agree with her, much to Gumball's dismay. Was it something he said?

Mary folded her arms, giving her daughter a stern look before turning to Gumball.

"Forgive me dear but she can be a little shy." Mary apologetically told him.

"Hey, it's cool," smiled Gumball with sympathy. "It's nice to meet you too, Nicole."

Nicole said nothing in response, preferring to to look down at the floor.

A void of silence filled the air and Gumball was unsure what to say next. Deep down he had a feeling that making new friends would be tough for him but he never expected it to be this hard. Nicole was standing in front of him and yet she seemed so distant from him.

Daniel awkwardly coughed into his fist, catching everyone's attention.

"Well then," he began. "Now that the introductions are over, what say we get down to business? Mary, should

Well then," he began. "Now that the introductions are over, let's get down to business. Mary, shouldn't we start discussing… well, y'know. The _thing_."

"Oh yes, the _thing. _That's right_,_" She nodded in agreement before turning to face the kids. "Kids, while we have our private discussion, why don't you go ahead and play upstairs? Nicole, you should show Gumball all the cool stuff you have in your room!"

"Cool stuff?" Gumball mimicked her words in interest.

Nicole on the other hand looked petrified with fear. Her room?

She had just met this boy and already she had to invite him into her own little private sanctuary!? There was no way she could agree to this.

Mary must have read her daughter's mind. She did not say anything but she raised an eyebrow and just like that, any protests Nicole might have had were immediately dismissed.

If her mother wanted this, then so did she. There was no room for negotiations.

"Yes, Mom." Sighed Nicole.

"Thank you, honey," Smiled Mary. "And remember, the two of you are not to come down here until we say so, understand?"

Nicole simply nodded and went back up the stairs, while Gumball offered a cheery "Yes, ma'am!"

Gumball was about to follow after Nicole but his father placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Uh one moment Mary," Said Daniel. "I just need to have my own little talk with Gumball for a moment."

"Is that so?" inquired Mary, pulling out a chair in the dining area. "Very well. I'll be right here."

Mary began sorting through the pile of papers that sat on the table as father and son spoke in hushed whispers at the foot of the staircase. Neither one was aware of the third party above them; curiosity got the best of her and Nicole listened in to their conversation.

_'I know it's wrong to Gumdrop-I mean, eavesdrop. But I have to know what this 'Gumball' is really like… What kind of name is that, anyway?'_

"What's wrong, Dad?" Asked Gumball.

Somehow, he had a strong feeling this was going to be less of a talk and more of a lecture. His suspicions were confirmed when Daniel faced him with an angry scowl.

"Why were you bothering that mailman, earlier?" Daniel sternly pointed outside. "What have I told you about talking to strangers?"

"Calm down Dad," said Gumball. "He's the next door neighbour and he was just asking for the time."

"And for all we know he could be dangerous!" replied Daniel, tightening his grip on his son's shoulders.

"Oh sure," Gumball sarcastically rolled his eyes. "I think I saw him carrying a letter opener. _Clearly _he must be the most dangerous man in Elmore…"

"Son, this is no laughing matter!"

"Well, excuse me," Gumball folded his arms. "I didn't realize being nice was such a crime!"

"And that's just the problem son, you're _too _nice! And one of these days your carelessness is going to get you in big trouble!" He snarled at him, in voice that would scare a shark-bear-igator.

"Oh come on, Dad," protested Gumball. "I get it, it's important not to trust strangers. But you're taking this too far! Are we gonna start treating everyone we don't know with scorn? You can't assume everyone's the same!"

That last statement certainly caught Nicole's attention as she listened in from upstairs.

Daniel softened up a little, shaking his scowl off with a huff. He could not deny his son had a point. Perhaps he was being too paranoid, though Daniel was not without his reasons. All that anger stemmed from concern. His son could be quite the mischief maker at times.

"Gumball, by all means follow your heart but do _not_ wander off without telling me first." He warned, poking his forehead. "I haven't forgotten about the time you mistook that burglar for a charity man!"

"Well, he _was_ pretty convincing," shrugged Gumball.

"Son, the guy was literally a walking thumbprint!" asserted Daniel. "He had crime written all over him!"

"Well, excuse me for not making assumptions..." Gumball threw his hands in the air. "Alright Dad, I promise I'll be more careful around strangers from now on. But only if you promise you lighten up a little."

"Very well then," said Daniel approvingly. "Glad we could have this talk, son. Now go on upstairs and make friends with Nicole."

Gumball nervously threw glance at the top of the stairs.

"I don't know, Dad, she seems pretty shy. It's like she doesn't wanna be friends at all."

Daniel groaned with irritation, pinching the bridge of his nose with impatience. Placing his hands on Gumball's shoulders, Daniel kneeled down so he could be face to face with him.

"Son, friendship is a fickle thing," explained Daniel. "Sometimes, it takes a bit more effort than just saying _Hello_ and introducing yourself. And sometimes, you've gotta make yourself more welcoming. Some people have a like, uh…."

Daniel twirled his fingers as he thought of the right words.

"Well, like a big shell around them, that they won't come out of until they feel comfortable. And that's when you have to get them to open up to _you_."

"Hmm, so what you're saying is, some folks can be tough nuts to crack and if I wanna help them come out of their shells, I need to use the hammer of friendship to break them out by making myself more welcoming like an open book?"

"Um yeah sure," shrugged Daniel. "Let's go with that."

"Thanks for the awesome advice, Dad!" Gumball said cheerily, giving his father a hug.

"Alright, alright." He fidgeted, gently shoving him off. "Just play safely and remember, do **not **come back down here until we call you two. Do I make myself clear?"

Gumball gave a reassuring nod and ascended the stairs. Perhaps his father was right, it was too early to jump to conclusions. If he was to make friends with Nicole, he had to put more effort than just introducing himself.

As Gumball made it to the top of the staircase, he met back with Nicole, who stood a good distance to his right at the end of the corridor. She awkwardly leaned against the wall with her arms folded, trying to act natural but only making it more evident that she had been eavesdropping.

The two cats gazed at each other, Nicole giving him a rather unapproachable look. With great courage, Gumball stepped forward, determined to make Nicole's acquaintance.

"So, how are you doin-"

Unfortunately, the second step was where it all fell apart. He tripped over and landed face first onto the carpet with a grunt.

'_Ouch. So much for a good first impression….'_ He thought to himself.

Nicole's mouth briefly gaped in pure disbelief. _This _was whom her mother wanted her to make friends with?

One should never judge a book by its cover but if Gumball was a book, he'd be the one that was missing half its pages.

Mary had always forced Nicole to have the highest of standards in everything, including friends. In fact, Mary had always told her that the only friends worth keeping are ones that are beneficial to your lifestyle and will push you to achieve greater heights.

Yuki Yoshida had exemplified those traits. Gumball Watterson on the other hand, was another story. So why did her mother want them to be such good friends?

Nicole continued to stare down at him looking most unimpressed. From the floor, Gumball raised his head to make eye contact, offering her a nervous grin.

Following a heavy sigh, Nicole looked away before extending had out towards him and helping him back on his feet. Despite her standoffish mannerisms, Gumball appreciated her gesture of kindness all the same.

Just when he was starting to feel a little more at ease, Nicole faced him and spoke, straight and to the point.

"So, what exactly is your deal?" She asked accusingly as her tail twitched.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm a little bit clumsy." Gumball giggled sheepishly, brushing the dust off himself.

"No, what I mean is, how come you look so much like us? You look like me, only _wimpier_. I swear, if it turns out that you're my long lost brother or something I'm gonna-"

"Whoa whoa, hold the phone," said Gumball, surrendering his hands up in a flustered fashion. "I'm not related to you, at least… I don't think so. My blue fur comes from my great grandfather."

"Alright, then…" Said Nicole, folding her arms with a huff and shutting her eyes.

She took his answer with a grain of salt but it satisfied her enough. The last thing she needed right now was a sudden addition to the family.

Although Nicole's stiff attitude did nothing to curb Gumball's optimism, her comment about him being wimpy did not exactly boost his motivation either. Then again, some people are just naturally blunt and she did have a point is what Gumball told himself.

Nicole stood where she was, ears flattened against her head as Gumball awkwardly looked back and forth around the hallway. Gathering the courage to break the ice, Gumball spoke up.

"Look, I'm not very good at hellos," He began. "Or goodbyes. Or a lot of stuff in general. But I really do want to be friends with you, Nicole. Just give me that chance. Whatever you wanna do, I'm down for it!"

Nicole sighed inwardly, knowing full well there was no avoiding this.

Any conflict would inevitably bring her mother into the mix, who could _smell_ trouble a mile away.

She thought back to what he said earlier, about not treating every stranger with scorn. Mulling his words over, Nicole felt a sharp pang of regret for insulting him prior… Wasn't that what she had just done, by calling him 'wimpy'?

And the fact he did not call her out on it…

Did that mean his self-esteem was so low that he agreed with her? Regarding this, she found herself wishing that she had left that part out.

'_It's not like you know anything about him, Nicole…' _Her conscience reprimanded. _'Maybe you should just give him a chance? He seems... like a good kid….'_

"Fine…" said Nicole, rolling her eyes. "I suppose, if we must. But I can't really think of anything to do, so what do you have in mind?"

Nicole placed her hands on her hips, awaiting his response. This was his chance to prove to her, that he truly wanted to be friends.

"Okay, uh..." replied Gumball, pondering the matter over.

What exactly _could_ they do? They could play on his GameChild console but he had left it in the car with the rest of the luggage. But going back downstairs was out of the question.

'_Even if it's just a quick run outside, Dad's not gonna like it one bit. And I promised I wouldn't wander off…' _Gumball thought to himself.

Coming to the obvious conclusion, Nicole's mother did suggest playing in her room earlier. Perhaps the simplest solution was the most ideal.

"Say, your mom mentioned your room, right?" asked Gumball, curiously moving towards her door. "And that you had some 'cool things' in here."

Nicole stared back at him with absolute horror, as he inched closer and closer to her door.

"Why don't we do that?" continued Gumball. "That'd be a great way for us to get to know each other."

He reached out to open it, and simultaneously, in a flash, Nicole sprung forward from her feet.

"**NO!"**

It was no sooner than the door slightly cracked open that she slammed it shut in a panic, causing Gumball to back away in fear.

Gumball stared at her, dumbfounded, as she stood flat against the door. Nicole spoke not a single word after that, her breathing reduced to heavy huffs as if she had just ran a marathon. She seemed scared beyond belief.

"Nicole!" Mary suddenly yelled from downstairs, giving the two cats quite a fright. "What on earth is going on up there, young lady?!"

...

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. Getting Accustomed

Chapter 2

Nicole flinched at her mother's tone, who sounded very displeased. Oh crap... Acting so impulsively had been a bad move, the _worst _move. There were better ways to have kept Gumball from going into her room and she had gone with the one that would certainly attract the negative attention of her mother.

"U-uh, my bad, Mom!" She yelled back, trying her best to sound natural. "There was a spider on the floor and it freaked me out! T-this guy got it, don't worry!" Gumball mouthed a 'what?' to her, which she did not notice. Nicole simply couldn't bring herself to say such a bizarre, idiotic name as that.

"Next time, _you_ be the one that gets rid of it!" Mary yelled back in an instant, before going back to their discussion.

Disappointment... Her mother's disappointment. Lord, was the pain needle-like. Nicole stared at her feet forlornly. Gumball stepped forward, which caught her attention.

What was he thinking? Who just goes on and attempts to enter someone's room; their personal sanctuary and privacy, like that without asking beforehand? Such a careless thing to do!

Nicole could not withhold her animosity towards him for not only intruding on her personal space, but also forcing her to lie to her mother and get yelled at, all in the space of less than five minutes!

She nearly lashed out at him, as she chastised him. "Thanks a lot!" She hissed, glaring at him sharper than his father ever had, sending chills up his spine. "You nearly got me in trouble!" Gumball rose his hands up in defense. "H-hey, I'm sorry! I didn't think it through, I only remembered that your mom mentioned it and I got curiou-"

"I don't want to hear it, because of _you-"_ She pointed a sharp claw at him. "-I just got yelled at by my mom! I mean seriously, what kind of _idiot _just waltzes into someone else's room, without asking?!"

Gumball continued, his tone edging towards the defensive side. "Well, slamming the door wasn't the best way of handling things! Excuse me for trying to be nice and earn your approval!"

Nicole was briefly taken aback at his suddenly defensive attitude, before settling down. He... was right, there probably was a better way to go about that then causing such ruckus. She had let her anger get the better of her, once again. "You… have a point." She sadly admitted, her tail drooping down against the floor. _'Good job, Nicole. See what happens when you let your frustration get to your head?'_

Gumball calmed down, feeling bad for speaking so harshly. Putting more thought into it, he really shouldn't have done that.

"I'm sorry for-" Nicole began, before Gumball interrupted her with an apology of his own. "No, no. It's my fault more." He confessed, trying to find his words. "I shouldn't have just barged in uninvited like that…"

Nicole was relieved at his display of understanding, but did not say anything further.

Truthfully, Gumball didn't expect her to be so nervous about showing her room, it didn't seem like a big deal to him. But considering how she acted before it probably should have been a given. In any case though, entering someone's room uninvited like that is wrong. She was right, he _is_ an idiot. He gave a defeated sigh. Once again, the tension-filled awkward silence returned and it was getting rather insufferable.

Nicole turned back around with a huff and faced the door to her room indecisively. Gumball placed his hands in his pockets, his eyes moving around the area, while Nicole continued to glare at the door, tail swaying lowly behind her.

'_Welp, better think of something else.'_ Gumball thought, taking note of the window all the way on the left end, thinking maybe he could try to climb out of it and get his games, but he shut that idea down instantly. One, that's a crazy thing to do in someone else's house. Two, there would likely be no way back up. And three, he had already made a poor enough first impression.

To his chagrin, the only other room up here - besides the loft - was the bathroom, indicated by the 'WC' imprinted on the front. There was no helping it, as there was only one thing left he could think of to pass the time.

"I guess, we can just sit here until our parents are done talking if you'd like." Gumball offered reluctantly, it sounded lame as the words came out of his mouth.

"No." Nicole said, balling her fists tightly.

"Huh?" Gumball gave a look between curious and sympathy. "Is something wrong?"

Nicole shook her head, and with her eyes tight shut, gained the courage to finally drop the ball. _'For his sake, he better like what he sees.'_ She thought, hoping this brave act would pay off.

She swallowed. "I guess... we can go inside my room."

Gumball gazed at her with concern. "Are you sure? If you're not okay with it then we don't have to."

Wordlessly, she turned the knob and opened the gateway to her sanctuary. As she walked inside, the sudden glow of sunlight that peered in through the window across from the room caused Gumball to cover his eyes. "Well, here it is..." She said aloud, staring at him from inside. Noticing his reluctance, she flat out ordered him. "Just come in already!"

Gumball walked in slowly, one step at time, not before shutting his eyes tight and covering them with his hands for good measure. Nicole rolled her eyes as he entered through the frame. "Is it okay to open my eyes?"

"Yes, you may." Gumball slowly peaked his eyes open, making sure he was out of the sunlight's gleam before opening them further. As he took a good look around the room, his eyes widened with wonder.

The first thing that he noticed about her room was that it was quite spacious, at least compared his room back at home.

To the right of the window, sat a computer desk against the corner, a comfy looking leather seat to go along with it. A few posters of things like the famous martial artist Bruce Red and the pink rat from 'Kebab Fighter', which Gumball was intrigued by, were decorated deftly on the right adjacent wall, right next to computer. _'Kebab Fighter? Wait, is she into video games?' _It wasn't only posters hanging on the walls, there was a Rainbow Factory calendar and there were a few delicately framed gold medals too. The sight of them alone intrigued Gumball further.

Across from the computer desk sat a normal-sized bed, adorned with pillows of various designs. The biggest one sitting in the dead center of the headboard while other much smaller pillows lay on top of it, a few of them were heart-shaped, one had a neat paisley pattern. A soft, fabric blanket was made neatly on the mattress, covering its shape perfectly. _'I don't understand, this just seems like a normal room, and she was acting all fidgety about it?"_

The left side of the room, however, was what really shocked Gumball. An old fashioned 'Soppy' television sitting on a stand, with a game console from Ripley 2000 just like his at the bottom. A few more posters were scattered about for things like 'The Tale of Zelmore' and the bands 'AB/CD', 'Bisou', and 'Dreaming Panthers'. Next to it stood a shelf; the bottom two cubbies were filled with a variety of puzzles, while the top two sported various first place Karate tournament trophies. _'She's… into martial arts? I was not expecting that at all! I must know more about her.' _Gumball thought in awe.

To top it all off, the wallpaper of the room was pink a faded pink, with a flowery texture that was faint enough to give the room a 'warm' almost motherly feeling. In other words, the room looked as welcoming as could be.

Nicole stood unmoving, only waiting for his response. Beads of sweat formed on her brow. _'Why is he taking so long? Just say something already!_' She thought, confused and imprudent.

Finally, Gumball faced back towards her. The neutral expression on his face didn't satisfy her, per se, but at least he didn't think anything was, well, wrong. She felt relief for just a split second, until he bursted out in laughter. Laughter that rung in Nicole's ears and slowly began to fuel a fire of rage in her.

'_I knew it! I knew I shouldn't have trusted him, he's shown his true colors!'_

Gumball only continued laughing, unaware of the growing scowl that formed on her face, and the barred, sharp teeth that looked razor sharp. Nor did he notice her marching right up to him, smouldering with temper like a volcano about to erupt.

'_Why that punk! I'll teach him why _no one_ ever messes with a Senicourt!'_

When he finally finished, wiping a tear off his face, he yelped in fright as Nicole's furious face became clear. His voice was cut short as Nicole swiftly grabbed him by the shirt, lifting him so his feet barely touched the ground.

"I knew it!" She snarled, as Gumball flinched. "I knew I shouldn't have let you in here!" She growled once more in his face, exasperated beyond her wit. Gumball whimpered silently, too terrified to get a word in. "You're just like the rest of them! Well, you made the wrong move to laugh at me in my own house! I don't care if my mom hears this, you need to be taught a lesson!" She began to reel back her other fist.

Gumball peeped, before blurting out wildly. "What are you talking about?! I wasn't making fun of you or anything!"

She paused, loosening her grip on him. "What?" She asked, sternly still but also confused. "What do you mean?"

Gumball took a hefty intake of air, and stated calmly. "I wasn't laughing to make fun of you. Honest." He threw his hands up in surrender.

Nicole's eyes widened, putting her first down. "Y-You... weren't?" He shook his head affirmatively. "Oh." She softened, unsure of whether to believe him or not, but he deserved a chance to explain himself. After she let go, Gumball breathed in deeply, relieved at the fact that he didn't end up becoming catnip.

"...I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions like that, then." She apologized. On the inside, however, she had her doubts of his apology. How did she know for sure if he hadn't just lied to her on the spot to get out of harm's way?

If that's the case, then she'd do something even _worse_ to him, but she had to make sure.

Gumball was still gasping from the sudden aggression. "I-it's fine."

"Then just why were you laughing, then?!" She blurted out, agitatedly. Gumball shrugged, before calmly explaining. "I just found it kinda funny with all the build-up, like you were so scared of showing your room, that it was going to be some huge deal. I know you said 'don't laugh' but I just couldn't help myself." He giggled, despite still being shaken from her outburst. "Because it just looks like an ordinary room to me, no offense."

Nicole's ears flattened against her head at his reveal, not needing to be convinced further. "None… taken." She said lamely, taking a seat on her bed.

"But, your room does look nice though!" Gumball corrected himself, hoping to appeal to her. "I like the flowery pink texture on the wall." Nicole only blinked at the compliment at first, letting it soak in a bit.

Gumball continued. "And I honestly didn't expect you to be into video games, or martial arts, or bands like _that._" Gumball pointed at the posters. "I like them too. Well, besides 'Dreaming Panthers', I've never heard of them." He smiled, Nicole's bizarre expression going unnoticed as he peeked his head outside the window, which displayed a lovely view of the entirety of York Street as it basked in afternoon sunlight. The light breeze of Autumn wind flowed against his fur. 

Nicole's incredulous expression remained fixated on him, as what he told her failed to render correctly in her brain.

He's a boy, correct? That's what her mother had said.

'_What is with this guy, he's... happy about it? I've always thought that boys were... against…'_

"So, none of that bothers you? At all? In any way?" Nicole asked him, thinking she didn't quite hear him correctly. Gumball pried his eyes away from the nice street view outside of the window to give her his attention. "No? What do you mean? All that stuff is awesome. What's wrong with liking it?"

Nicole continued to stare at him with the same bewilderment prior. "You do know that I'm… a _girl_, correct?" She asked, turning around on the spot as if to point out the obvious. It was clearly a stupid thing to ask, yet some part of her needed to make sure she wasn't being fooled.

Gumball lowered a brow, confused much like her. "Well, yeah. That's what my dad told me when we were on our way down here." He giggled. "And it's obvious from the sound of your voice, and that pretty dress of yours."

Nicole blushed a little before giggling as well. "Good point…"

They exchanged gentle smiles with each other, Nicole's being more on the timid side, as Gumball moved towards the bean bag chair. "Is it cool if I sit here?" He asked politely, earning a firm nod from Nicole. "Sure."

He lifted himself on to the cushion, loosening up as his body sunk into the cushy fabric. "So, uh, you're fan of Daisy the Donkey." He changed the subject, calling attention to the doll that was laying snugly on Nicole's bed.

Nicole suddenly blushed hard, which was very evident given her blue fur. He stifled back a giggle. "Oh, uh that? It's uh, from when I was younger. I just never had the heart to throw her-_it,_ I mean it, away. I hope you don't find that silly…"

Gumball shrugged. "Well… I'll admit, I thought it was just a tiny bit funny when I noticed it..." Nicole's scowl slowly began to creep back on her, which Gumball quickly tried to save himself from. "But that was only because it was such a contrast to the rock band posters. Don't worry, I don't think it's a big deal…"

Nicole rolled her eyes, forming a little smile. "Oh, you're so benign."

"I'm not 'nine'," Gumball insisted, mistaking her words. "I'm twelve. Wait, how old are you?"

Nicole grabbed her tail and began to stroke it in a shy, gentle manner. "Twelve."

"Really? Wow, so we're both the same age then!" He exclaimed, intriguing Nicole. '_What are the odds that two blue cats of the same age would ever run into each other?_' Gumball thought dumbfoundedly.

Nicole's fear of being rejected for the more masculine interests had its origins, but it now felt silly to her that she feared being rejected for liking something like Daisy the Donkey. She guessed that was more normal than she was stressing it to be.

Of course, her natural response to something like that would be a swift kick in the nads, but it still wouldn't make her feel any more dignified, She had always felt somewhat insecure about it. She guessed that she should level with him here, so that he'd understand.

Nicole began with a sigh. "Look, uh… G-Gumball, is it?" She forced herself to say the bizarro name of his. "I'm sorry for how presumptuous this may sound but, I was sure that you would reject me for my… interests..." She said softly, putting her paw on Daisy laying beside her.

There are better ways of coming clean than just outright admitting that she didn't trust him, but it would be best to not distort facts or anything. She didn't want to come off as a liar to him.

Gumball shook his head. "Don't be, I think it's cool that you're into that stuff! In fact, I'm glad that we have a few interests in common. Why'd you think that?"

Nicole pulled Daisy closer beside her. "It's a bit of a long story, now is not the best time to explain..." That was only partly true, but the reality was that they only just met each other. Although Nicole found a small amount of trust in him, she wasn't quite ready to spill all her personal secrets.

"That's fine, I understand." Gumball patted her knee, startling her just a bit. "If it's a personal thing then I don't wanna overstep that boundary."

Nicole's eyes widened at the random physical interaction, to which he realized that it wasn't a good idea to randomly touch her like that, hastily jerking his hand back. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to, uh…"

Nicole nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, it's no bother." It was only a gesture of kindness, no big deal. She guessed that she hadn't felt a friendly gesture in a while, not since Yuki abandoned her.

Despite being grateful for the amount of understanding he had shown, she remained somewhat perplexed. She had never encountered a boy in her life that was… like this. _'He's not bothered by it… I thought that it was a bad thing… to like….'_

Gumball got up to take a closer look at the trophies on top of the shelf, standing on his tiptoes to see the writing on them clearly. Nicole noticed this, distracted from her confusion, and smiled to herself, proud that someone was noticing her achievements..

Gumball squinted his eyes, trying to get a good look at the words imprinted on the trophies.

'_**#1st Place Karate: Nicole Senicourt'**_was inscripted on the biggest one that sat in the middle, with a neat little sculpture of a woman performing a kick on the top. The others that sat around said the same thing.

"Wow…" was all that Gumball let out, giving a glance back towards the medals that were framed on the walls. "You're really good at this." She chuckled at how enamoured he sounded. "Why, thank you. That's not all of them by the way. There's a whole trophy case down in the living room."

Gumball sharply turned to her in shock. "Really?" She nodded. "Wow, the years of experience sure paid off."

Nicole gave him a suddenly playful look. "Well, you tell me…" She said, before quickly zipping into several different stances… in almost the blink of an eye with each transition, which absolutely captivated Gumball. She decided to tease him, ending off with a kicking pose, her foot only a mere inch from his face. He flinched, causing her to smirk. "Ah ha, made ya flinch!"

Though he was shocked at first, Gumball pulled a devious grin and blew a puff of cold air at her. As harmless as it was, it had the effect he intended, catching her by surprise and causing her to stumble and fall to the floor.

Nicole looked astounded at first and for a moment Gumball was scared she would get angry at him. But moments later, she burst into laughter and Gumball followed suit before extending a hand to help her back on her feet.

"Dude, you're amazing."

Nicole giggled. "I'm flattered. That was nothing special, really. I'm capable of more, but I don't wanna end up breaking anything important."

"Sorry if it's a bit of a letdown that, well, I only watch martial arts." Gumball said, hoping that it wouldn't serve much of a detriment to becoming friends. "My dad never let me take lessons. He says he doesn't want me getting into fights or hurting anyone."

"Oh, I understand." She reassured him. "But Karate is not about fighting, it's all about self-defence and discipline. Then again, tournaments are a different story."

Gumball leaned closer towards her. "Really? What are they like?"

"Well…" Nicole began, leaning against the bed pole. "Let's just say they're something only the most serious of students get involved in. It's rare for someone to walk away without a couple of bruises. I've won most of the tournaments I have participated in since I was seven." She said, gazing up at her golden rewards, which reflected from her eyes. "That's why I'm called a 'prodigy'."

Gumball's eyes widened. "You're a martial arts _prodigy_? No way!" He exclaimed, beginning to get all excited. Nicole brightened at his enthusiasm. "Oh yes, martial arts is my _passion_!" She spoke, big circles appeared in her eyes. "I've studied and practiced for years."

"Wow…" Gumball sighed in stupor. "How long have you been practicing for?"

"Oh, ever since I was about six years old. I was taught under sensei Tobikuma Yoshida-"

'_Yoshida… Yoshida…. Yoshida….'_

"Yuki." She said, her voice being only a whisper.

Her mood was suddenly brought down, and she retreated into her thoughts, as she realized what she had just said. Distant memories of her and Yuki's days together forced their way into her head.

Nicole tried her hardest to block out the bitter thoughts at that moment, now was not the time for it, but it was far from easy. She leaned forward, staring down at her feet forlornly, drawing concern from Gumball. "Nicole, are you alright?" He asked, worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine." She lied, hoping it was convincing enough. "Why do you ask?" She faced him again, a forced smile on her face.

Gumball was reluctant to move on, but he figured it was best to take her word for it. _'It's probably none of my business, anyway...'_

"Never mind, I was just… seeing things." His voice tapered off, cueing Nicole to giggle; somewhat forced on her part, but she found it funny the awkward way he said it.

The two cats then remained quiet for a couple moments, only letting each other's presence soak in. The room was silent, but unlike earlier in the hall, the atmosphere wasn't so awkward. In fact, it felt closer to the silence that's shared between two people that are comfortable with each other.

Gumball noticed the Rainbow Factory calendar near the desk and began walking towards it. "The Rainbow Factory?" He said aloud, attracting Nicole's attention. "Is that where you want to work one day?"

"Huh?" She asked cursorily, before following his gaze to said poster. "Oh no, not at all…" She answered. "I mean, maybe as a last resort, but it's not my dream job." Gumball nodded along with her explanation. "My mom's the one who works there and gave me a calendar to stay organised."

Gumball was reminded of their parents when Nicole mentioned her mother, which brought him back to the mystery of what they could be talking about. He wondered, just maybe, if Nicole might have a clue. Hopefully, her mother hinted her in on it.

"What do you think our parents are talking about, anyways?" He asked her, staring towards the door. "It must be awfully important if they need to talk it out in person..."

She followed his gaze towards the door. "I dunno, my mom left me completely in the dark." She answered, causing Gumball to mutter a quiet 'darn' under his lips. "Probably just boring adult stuff."

Gumball giggled. "Probably, my dad only brought me along to have a 'playdate' with you."

"Oh, that's what my mom said. She kinda brought it up out of nowhere..."

"Huh." Gumball pondered for a second…

It might be crazy to think, and it would probably cause Nicole to raise an eye at him, but considering the stilted behavior of their parents it was the only thing to make sense in his head.

"Say, do you think our parents might be dating or something?"

"What the-" Nicole gave him a look of pure stupor and confusion. "_NO!_ Of course not! I'd be the first to know if my mom were with another guy! What made you come to that conclusion?!"

"Oh…" Gumball rubbed the back of his head. "Well, my dad and her have been 'talking' together for a while now, but when I ask him about it, he's always so secretive. Like he'll say that she's 'just an old friend' or something like that. Or he'll get all nervous before completely changing the subject. And if I keep asking about it, he'll either jump out of the nearest window or start lecturing me to sleep."

Nicole stood still, not saying anything as her thoughts came into form. Guess she shouldn't blame him for thinking of such a preposterous thing, it seems convincing enough to suspect them of dating based on such suspect behavior. "That's funny, my mom has been secretive about him too."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm, but she's not one to keep secrets so I never really gave it any thought."

"Weird…" Gumball thought aloud, Nicole shrugged it off. "It's probably nothing, they'd tell us if it were our business." Surely, even if they _were_ hiding anything from them, it wouldn't even be that big of a deal, right? A parent would want what's best for their child, right? If they were hiding anything, then Nicole was sure that it was for the best.

Gumball nodded. "Good point."

Starting to feel more comfortable with his presence, Nicole decided to be brave and offer him a chance to play with her.

"So... we could play a game together to pass the time, I mean, if you're up for it."

"That'd be awesome!" Beamed Gumball. "What do you wanna play?"

Nicole sprung towards the bookshelf and began scavenging about, before pulling out what Gumball assumed to be her prefered choice.

"Alright, I got it!" She spoke up, raising the box up so that Gumball could see it.

"Office Simulator?" He frowned.

"Huh? Ew! How'd that get in there?" Said Nicole, tossing it aside as she came to the obvious answer. "Ugh, Mom…"

Yet another attempt by Mary to push her daughter into playing something educational.

"Ah, _this _is the game I was looking for." Announced Nicole, presenting the cartridge. "It's called-"

"Kebab Fighter!" Gumball finished, recognizing it instantaneously. He didn't need to give it any sort of thought, Kebab Fighter has been not only his favorite beat-em-up, but his favorite game _period._

"That's right." She exclaimed happily, bounding towards the console. She gave the eject button a firm press, as the Zelmore cartridge that was inside popped out, swapping it for Kebab Fighter.

She grabbed two controllers that lay from inside the stand, one of them being noticeably more dustier than the other. She unrolled the chords from them, plugging them both into their respective slots of the console.

Gumball sat down on the floor in front of the television, Nicole soon joining him. "Here you are." She said, handing him the second controller. After Gumball grabbed it, she sped through the menus, reaching two-player mode.

"So who do you wanna be?" Asked Nicole.

"I'm pretty happy being myself. But since I'm not in the game, I'll go with Ratman." He announced with a giggle. Nicole returned it, finding the corniness of it to be humorous. "You're pretty goofy, you know that?"

Gumball gave her a funny look. "...I am?" Nicole nodded. "Yes, what with the name and how you act. Like, 'Gumball' sounds kind of weird, doesn't it?" She didn't intend to hurt him by saying that, but a few honest words wouldn't hurt, right?

"It started as a nickname. But everyone's been calling me that for so long, it sorta stuck."

"Really? Well, what's your real name then?" Nicole inquired.

"I dunno." He scratched his head. "My dad doesn't like to talk about it. He said it reminds him of my mom, before she left…" For the first time, Gumball looked genuinely saddened and Nicole immediately regretted asking him.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that."

"Aw, don't worry about it. Come on, let's play. You haven't picked your character."

"Right, I'll go with the Hot-Dog boxer." She stated while selecting said character, promptly beginning the match.

'_I guess I should go easy on him, since this is his first time playing against me…'_ Nicole thought to herself, moving her character into position. _'I know, to make it fair, I'll refrain from using combos.'_

'_FIGHT!'_ The announcer shouted, promptly beginning the game.

That was all Nicole needed to hear. Acting almost entirely on impulse, Nicole charged her character forwards, instinctively aiming to get the first shot in and put her opponent on the defensive.

Conversely, Gumball remained completely unfazed, opting to make his character politely bow for his first move, catching Nicole off-guard.

"Huh? What're you doing?" She stopped to ask him.

"It's good manners, to start a match with a bow, isn't it?"

"Oh, uh yeah, good point…"

Being a Karateka, in other words a practitioner of Karate, Nicole was more than familiar with the practice and felt compelled to make her character do the same. It was only fair considering this was just a friendly…

"Gotcha." Grinned Gumball.

The moment Nicole let her guard down, Gumball tripped her character over with a cheap-shot.

"Hey, what gives?" Nicole complained.

"The match has already started, it's open season now!"

Nicole pulled a devious grin, excited at the prospect of battling a tough opponent. '_Forget what I said about going easy. This guy clearly knows what he's doing.'_

"Oh, so it's gonna be like that, huh? Then bring it on!"

Briskly getting her character back on its feet, Nicole rushed forwards with a barrage of quick punches and swift kicks. Gumball expertly blocked half of her attempts and carefully dodged for the remainder. 'Avoiding and evading', two can play at that, Nicole soon realized.

The moment Nicole stopped to gauge his strategy, Gumball immediately responded by changing it up. Now, he was going on the offensive, with a series of low kicks and high punches, giving her little time to counter his moves. He kept at it driving her towards the edge of her side.

Nicole kept up her ignorant pretence, waiting for the right moment to counterattack. All that damage he was doing to her character, might be reducing its health but the higher the damage, the more powerful the character's combos become.

"I gotta say, you're pretty good at this." Nicole complimented him. "But not good enough! _Fist of the Big Dipper_!"

Having unleashed the Hot Dog Boxer's deadly combo attack, Nicole was certain victory was all but assured. At least, so she thought until Gumball proved to be full of surprises. He perfectly deflected her combo with one of his own, matching her blow-for-blow, and ending the match in a draw.

Nicole was left bewildered. "T-That move… That was the _Rattling-Gun_! "

"Oh, is that what it's called?" Gumball raised an eyebrow. "I always wondered what that was."

"It's one of the hardest moves in the game! That was quite impressive. I've never had a draw before. Where'd you learn how to do that?"

"I dunno." He shrugged. "I just mash buttons and wait for stuff to happen… That match sure was fun, though!"

"I'll say, you're one tough cookie." She politely remarked, still smirking. He has no idea of what was about to come next.

"Aw, thanks, you're pretty good too!" He returned the compliment innocently. "Wanna play another one?"

"Of course, that was only one game!" Nicole chimed, guiding their way back to the start of a fresh round. She laughed internally, thinking to herself. _'Alright, I won't underestimate him this time..._

Once more they were on the battlefield, the announcer promptly starting the game. And just like last time, Gumball started the match with a respectful bow.

"Oh no, I'm not falling for _that_ again." Grinned Nicole.

Nicole wasted no time, making a mad dash towards Gumball's character while it was vulnerable, squarely hitting her target with a strong forward strike. Before he could counter, she followed it up with a swift uppercut, sending his character flying into the air.

That combo did a quite a bit of damage but it was not over yet, for next came the most crucial step. The moment Gumball readjusted his character in the air, Nicole would volleyball spike him straight to the ground. But she had to wait for the right moment for it to work…

Unfortunately for her, Gumball saw straight through her strategy and proceeded to do nothing, letting his character fall to the ground. It was quite simple, by stalling in such a state, his character was immune to damage. So if he didn't move, Nicole couldn't attack him.

"Gotcha now!" laughed Gumball.

Nicole entered a brief state of panic, as Gumball mimicked her attack pattern, beat-for-beat. At least it seemed that way, until he put his own little twist on the finisher. Rather than spiking her character, Gumball ended his attack with a taunt, his character comically tossing a rose at hers.

It barely did any damage but it was quite undignifying. Gumball must've noticed this too because suddenly he seemed more interested in taunting than fighting back properly.

"Hey! What're you doing?" She asked in a somewhat offended tone, wanting him to stop playing around. She wasn't going to go ahead and start whaling on him if he wasn't about to do the same, there wouldn't be a proper test of skill then!

Gumball just chuckled. "What? Can't a guy savor his victory?"

Nicole's tail suddenly twitched a little as she tried to retain her composure. Gumball did not notice this however, his attention preoccupied on taunting whilst avoiding her attacks.

"Excuse me but you didn't win the last round, it was a _draw!_ And don't you think that you're being a bit _excessive_ with the taunts, hm?" She asked rhetorically, trying to keep her voice calm and steady, which Gumball did not notice. "Ehhh, not really." He replied.

Gumball's taunting, unknown to him, was the catalyst of lighting a huge woodfire inside of her. "Well, I believe your taunting is overstaying its welcome, so can you _please _knock it off and play properly?" She said, a hint of irritation in her voice that grew more evident as the sentence progressed.

"Mmm, I don't think that'd be fair. Not unless you're ready to give me _everything_ you've got."

To emphasise that statement, Gumball taunted yet again, which earned him a death glare from Nicole. Even though he meant no malice, just the very idea that she was not a worthy opponent to him was enough to set her teeth on edge and she gripped the controller so tightly, her claws had unsheathed themselves.

"Is that so?" She hissed through sharp gritted teeth, before suddenly going eerily calm. "Well then, all you had to do _ask_." 

If he was going to be this insolent, then it was high time she went the full nine yards and give him a taste of what she's really capable of.

"Get ready Mr. Showoff, because now…" She playfully cooed with an evil grin. "The gloves are off!"

With that said, Nicole pressed her hands together and closed her eyes, meditating to silence the storm within her mind.

Gumball gave her a nervous look, unsure of what she had up her sleeve. "Uh, I was only ruffhous-"

"_Hi-yah!" _Nicole cut him off with a battlecry, swiftly snatching her controller and mashing the buttons with such speed and accuracy, one would not have thought to be humanly possible.

Amazingly, the Hot-Dog boxer seemed to have been infused with the same enlightenment as Nicole herself, as it flung itself towards the Ratman, relentlessly attacking with a barrage of attacks. It was like an armament of assault. A hurricane of pain. A cataclysm of calamity.

For the first time during the match, Gumball found himself completely overwhelmed. Suddenly, just trying to keep up with her dominating performance was proving to be difficult and soon he found himself cornered. There was no more room left to seek refuge from her wrath. His only choice was to fight back.

Gumball actually found himself working up a sweat, trying to match her moves. The longer he went at it, the weaker his resolve grew. Nicole on the other hand, only seemed to grow faster and more efficient, with every successful hit. Nonetheless, they had locked themselves in a stalemate, neither side willing to give up. At least until… Gumball eyed his opponent.

That look of sheer determination mixed with desperation on her face…

Suddenly it made him question what he was doing. This was supposed to be a friendly little competition and they'd gotten so carried away. He should be trying to win _her_ over instead of a silly game. In fact, winning clearly meant a lot more to her than it did to him, so maybe he should...

Gumball only hesitated for a moment but it was all the time Nicole needed. Gumball could only watch in shock as his character was beaten senseless by Nicole's dominating performance, smoke beginning to build up from the console at the sheer rate of Nicole's furious rampage.

'_Aw, there's _no_ way that I am winning this!' _He thought, his eyes constantly shifting back and forth between the game and the blue speed demon that sat next to him. _'...But winning isn't worth losing a friend,' _He assured himself. 

From Nicole's point of view, he mind and controller were one with each other. There were no words to describe the unity and precision she was exerting, and the crazy thing is, she only seemed to keep going _faster._

If that weren't bizarre enough, she suddenly began to do a war cry that was in tune with every bruise that she landed on him. _"__**ARIARIARIARIARIARIARIARIARIARIARIARIARI-**__"_ Fire began smoldering in her eyes, as her button-mashing continued to grow in speed.

The sudden screeching not only shook Gumball, but prompted him to hurry and close the door tight after the moment of shock. He didn't want the senior Senicourt to be hearing her daughter sounding like she was almost on the verge of a mental break-down, all because Gumball decided to play around and banter with her.

It was only when Gumball's health had finally depleted, the Ratman comically exploding into a bunch of tiny pixelated bits and pieces, that Nicole released the strong grip from her controller, and it hit the ground with a thud. There was a small spark of fire that lit on her thumb tips. _"__**Arrivederci...' **_She ended off, the word escaping from her lips calmly. Bizarrely, there was not even an 'END IT' to finish the round off, almost as if it couldn't process it at the speed she had picked him off at.

Nicole gave her burning thumb tips a nonchalant look, simply blowing the fire away like it was no big deal…

At least until, the cartridge itself spontaneously caught fire, immediately both of their attention. Nicole instinctively clasped her own mouth shut to avoid yelling in fear.

"Oh no! What have I done!?" Nicole panicked in her muffled voice.

"Hang on, I got it!" shouted Gumball, snatching the burning cartridge from the console and tossing it out of the window without thinking.

Though they did not see where it landed, it must've have exploded on impact because they could hear one of the neighbors yelling about a fallen meteor outside.

"What… the _what…?_" Gumball uttered, in pure disbelief. Nicole squinted her eyes at him, painting a bitter expression with her arms folded. She did not look happy.

"Ni-Nicole, I was just playing around, you know? I thought it was all in good fun. I didn't mean for things to get so intense… "

Of course, it doesn't matter the intention, what matters was that it still happened. He caused her to go haywire like that, leading to the cartridge being blown up. He felt an awkward mix of fear and turmoil, expecting Nicole's rejection to come in an instant bout of sheer pain, swiftly ruining all of the build-up towards a potential friendship that they've made.

To his shock, Nicole suddenly began to... giggle? She was _giggling, _all of a sudden_? _

Gumball had his eyes return to hers, which were far kinder than they had been before. Much more, in fact, she looked rather apologetic, feeling as if she went a bit overboard with the freakshow. "My bad, I guess I got a little too competitive. It's just that I… I thought…" She gave a dismayed sigh. "I dunno what I was thinking… I'll admit, I have anger issues and sometimes… I end up taking things too far… "

"Oh…" Well, that was a relief. There still a reverbing feeling of guilt inside of him for that though, feeling as though he had genuinely insulted her. "I had no idea, I'm sor-"

"No, no!" She interrupted hastily, not wanting him to feel blame. "It's not your fault. You did nothing wrong. There's nothing wrong with a little competitive spirit. So no hard feelings, okay?" She began to walk towards him. Gumball did not believe her. "...Even after killing your game like that?"

Nicole giggled. "I have more than one copy, silly. This isn't the first time that it's happened. You're fine."

"Are you sure?..."

"I'm _positive_." She reassured, beginning to land a friendly paw on his shoulder, before abruptly being interrupted by a call from downstairs.

"_Kids, come on down!"_ Mary's starchy voice echoed throughout the household, catching the duo's attention. _"We have some _great_ news to share!"_

"Awww." Gumball moaned disappointedly, worried that whatever their parents wanted to talk about would cut into his fun time with Nicole. "I wanted to keep playing with you…"

"Me too, but if our parents have something to say to us then it should be number one on the priority list." She explained matter-of-factly as she passed him, making for the hall. Gumball begrudgingly followed her with a fixated pout that she noticed glancing back at him, contrasting his countenance with a grin. "Oh come now Gumball, I'm sure once they're finished talking, we can come back up here and continue… having fun."

Gumball's pout softened as they reached the staircase. "You think so?"

"Of course! So let's get going." Said Nicole, urging him to follow.

Making their way down, the first thing the pair noticed right away were their parents standing in front of the coffee table opposite to the loveseat, wearing particularly happy expressions on their faces.

Mary waited until they had reached the bottom to being speaking, a hint of elation in her voice "Take a seat on the sofa, kids." They did as told, wanting to get straight to the point.

Mary and Daniel traded knowing glances before starting. "First thing's first…" Daniel began firmly. "Have the two of you gotten acquainted with each other yet?" He asked, targeting Gumball with it specifically. "You know it, dad! Nicole's the _best!_" He responded cheerfully in no time, earning an approving look from his father and a slight blush from Nicole, charmed by his words.

While Gumball's response seemed convincing, Mary had to be doubly sure that she was not being fooled; What if he were only covering for her daughter's lack of commitment?

"Nicole? Would you agree?" She asked inquisitively, well-aware that her daughter would only give her the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

To her satisfaction, Nicole immediately responded with an enthusiastic nod. "Yes, mom. Today has been…" She moved her warm gaze to Gumball, whom no sooner returned with one of his own. "...one of the best in a while, actually."

"Fantastic! Just what we were hoping to hear from you two." She replied, stepping forward. "With that out of the way, I suppose we should break the ice, right Daniel?"

"Mhmm." He hummed, following Mary's step forward so that they could be at equal distance with the children. "This relates to the discussion that we've been having. Gumball, I know you to be a curious one, so I don't doubt that you were wondering what it was that was so important to us, hm?" He chuckled at his father. "You know me too well sometimes."

"Well…" Mary spoke up, taking over from here. "We've decided that with us being single parents, stuck with the trial of having to raise a single child…" She paused, causing Gumball and Nicole to lean forward in anticipation. "We had come to the one and only decision that could fix it... it's a bit of a game-changer however; so much of one that we had planned this get-together so that we could discuss it at length, and ultimately we came to the conclusion that this will be for not only _our_ good as parents, but our little ones as well…" She paused, smiling at the duo.

"Don't leave us hanging, Mom." Nicole spoke impatiently, wanting more than anything at the moment to go back upstairs with Gumball and continue with their leisure.

"...We will merge two families into _**one**_."

Gumball merely blinked a few times as he took Mary's words on board. Nicole however, faltered back a step as her as her smile slowly faded from her face.

"...What?"

End of Chapter 2


End file.
